Volatility

Another day of small-cap outperformance–here’s the best ETF for this trend

Another day of small-cap outperformance–here’s the best ETF for this trend

The small-cap Russell 2000 index gained 1.90% yesterday, July 15. That beat the 0.28% gain for the Standard & Poor’s 500. And the 0.53% gain for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. And a 0.27% gain for the NASDAQ 100 index.And today, as of noon, New York time, the Russell 2000 is up another 2.25% versus a gain of just 0.30% for the S&P 500 and 1.21 for the Dow Industrials.The NASDAQ 100 is off o.20% All his continues the outperformance trend of last week that I wrote about in yesterday’s Saturday Night Quarterback post.

Moderna finally proves it has a post-Covid vaccine life

Moderna finally proves it has a post-Covid vaccine life

Can you say rollercoaster? In 2022, the biotech company generated sales of nearly $18.9 billion, all of it from sales of its Covid-19 vaccine but it expects revenue of only $4 billion this year. On February 14, 2023, shares sold for $175.62. On $86.04 on February 14, 2024 they traded at $86.04. Today, June 11, they closed at 148.39. I added them to my Volatility Portfolio at $157.10 on April 14,2023. That position was still down 5.54% as of the close on June 11. But I think the rally is still in its early stages. Why the turnaround now?

Special Report: 7 Steps to Protect Your Portfolio While You Still Reap Market Gains: Step #5 Bet on a very hot summer

Special Report: 7 Steps to Protect Your Portfolio While You Still Reap Market Gains: Step #5 Bet on a very hot summer

I think that rather than trying to hedge market or sector direction in the 2024 market, I’m going to look for plays on the long side that will gain even if the market goes nowhere or tumbles, In other words, in financial jargon, I’m going to look for sectors and stocks that are uncorrelated with market direction rather than looking for sectors and stocks that are anti-correlated (where my gains depend on a downturn in the market.) That’s the logic with Step #5 today. Go long natural gas ahead of what is shaping up as a really, really hot summer.

BYD sells a record number of EVs in the second quarter as EU tariffs loom

Lithium Americas–Buy on the plunge

I certainly understand the sell off in shares of development stage lithium producer Lithium Americas (LAC). Today, April 23, the stock closed at $4.68 a share, down another 1.47%. On April 16 the stock closed at $6.49 after hitting $7.34 on April 11. The culprit? The company closed a previously announced stock offer to 55 million shares at a price of $5 a share to raise $275 million.
You can see the problem, right? Stock is trading at $7.34 or $6.49 and then a big public offer dumps 55 million shares on the market at $5 a share. Ouch!! So I understand the price plunge–36.2% from April 11 to the close on April 23. And as someone who owns shares in his personal portfolio, I can’t say I’m a happy camper. But I will be being more in my personal account three days after this is posted.

Another reason to buy Novo Nordisk: Kidney trial success for GLP

Another reason to buy Novo Nordisk: Kidney trial success for GLP

Back on February 20, I posted a video recommending a buy of Novo Nordisk (NVO). In the video, “Buy GLP-1,” I said that the stock, along with Eli Lilly (LLY) was riding the momentum of increased sales of GLP-1 drugs, originally developed to treat diabetes, as weight-loss drugs. Buy, I said, despite the huge run-up in the shares, because new trials and analysis of existing data were pointing to expanded uses for the drugs. Today, Novo Nordic announced exactly the kind of news that I had talked about.

Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Hot Button Moves NOW Buy VKTX

Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Hot Button Moves NOW Buy VKTX

Today’s Hot Button Moves NOW video is Buy Viking Therapeutics (VKTX). Last week I suggested that you buy GLP-1 drug stocks like Eli Lilly (LLY) or Novo Nordisk (NVO). This class of diabetes and weight loss drugs is growing rapidly, with $36.5 billion in sales in 2023. Viking Therapeutics, a development-stage biotech company, recently announced Phase 2 trial results for its compound VK2735. This drug has the potential to be the best in its class when it hits the market. The company still has to go through Phase 3 trials and approval, but the data show VK2735 to be more effective at weight loss than its competitors. It could also be one of the few drugs of its kind to be available orally. The current round of trials shows that the drug will need to be injected less frequently than competitors. The company trades with a market cap of $9 billion (in contrast to Lilly’s $720 billion market cap) and is still small enough that it could be bought before the expensive process of taking a drug to market. (Although the company recently raised a secondary offering that would advance marketing plans.) I would buy this up to $100 a share and expect it to continue to zoom as more good news, I expect, on the oral version gets released this quarter. I am adding the stock to my online portfolios today, Thursday, February 29. You can find a write up on this pick on my subscription JubakAM.com and free JubakPicks.com sites.

Another reason to buy Novo Nordisk: Kidney trial success for GLP

Need more GLP? Buying Viking Therapeutics on trial results

Yesterday, February 28, development-stage biotech Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) announced results from a Phase 2 training of its GLP-1 weight-loss drug candidate that that showed the potential for the VK2735 compound two move to be best in class in the $36.5 billion (revenue) market for GLP diabetes-control and weight-loss drugs. I will add Viking Therapeutic to my Volatility Portfolio and to my Jubak’s Picks Portfolio today, February 29, with a target price of $150.

Yes, I’d buy Palo Alto Networks today–with these caveats

Yes, I’d buy Palo Alto Networks today–with these caveats

After yesterday’s earnings report–the company beat Wall Street estimates for the quarter–and radically lower guidance for next quarter and the rest of 2024–total billings for next quarter will grow by just 2% to 4% and revenue for all of 2024 will grow by just 15% to 16% from 2023–shares of Palo Alto Networks (PANW) took a big hit right between the eyes. The stock fell 28.44% at the close and lost $104.12 a share to $261.97. What do I recommend? I’d say “buy” with a couple of caveats. Why buy?